Machine for applying adhesives to bottom surfaces



Dec. 6, 1949 w, McDONALD 2,490,077

MACHINE FOR APPLYING ADHESIVES T0 BO'IYTOM- SURFACES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1946 Dec. 6, 1949 w. E. MCDONALD MACHINE FOR APPLYING ADHESIVES T0 BOTTOM SURFACES Filed Aug. 16, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A kg'il hop E M j d9a|d Wwfim,

flTfORNEy Patented Dec. 6, 1949 MACHINE FOR APPLYING ADHE SIVES TO BOTTOM SURFACES William E. McDonald, Salt Lake City, Utah Application August 16, 1946, Serial No. 690,879

7 Claims.

(Granted under the a amended April 30,

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

My invention relates to an adhesive applicator. and more particularly to a device for the application of parallel strips of an adhesive substance to the underside of a box or the like.

It has become customary in the shipment of small boxes, cartons and similar rectangular containers, to assemble them into a composite package by means of gluing them together. In this type of preparation for shipment, loading or unloading of individual packages is unnecessary, and the utilization of mechanical equipment, such as fork-lift trucks, becomes possible. In order to strengthen the composite package, pallets of the same dimension as the top and bottom package of the composite package are glued thereto, whereby the package is further strengthened against shocks, and its handling facilitated. Such a composite package can withstand shocks caused by sudden starts, stops, road bumps, etc., and can be loaded and unloaded in a small fraction of the time needed for handling individual containers.

It has been found in the above-described type of shipment, which has become known as palletized shipping, that the application of glue to the individual containers by hand is a time-consuming operation. Machines have been proposed to apply dabs of glue to individual containers, which reduces the amount of time spent on the gluing operation; however, the bond between individual packages held together by dabs of glue is not strong. A strong bond can be obtained by coating an entire side of a box with glue; such an operation, while effective, requires a comparatively large amount of glue.

I have found that a firm bond between individual boxes is obtained by applying two parallel strips of glue to a side of a box, preferably at its edges, and assembling and palletizing the boxes into a composite package. I have accordingly devised a machine for applying two parallel strips of adhesive substance such as glue to the fiat underside of containers which are fed into the machine manually or by a conveyor.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a machine capable of applying parallel strips of glue to the underside of containers moved over the same.

Another object of this invention is an adhesiveapplying machine which coats the underside of containers at two parallel edges thereof, and which automatically adjusts itself to the width of containers of various sizes.

A further object of this invention is a simple and sturdy glue applicator which can be easily connected to a conveyor system.

Still another object of this invention is the of March 3, 1883, as

speeding up and improvement of the assembly of individual containers into composite packages.

These and other objects of my invention are carried out by an adhesive applicator in accordance with my invention, consisting of a plurality of glue applicators and means for automatically adjusting the distance between the applicators to correspond to the Width of boxes or similar containers to be glued together, as is more fully shown in the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an adhesive applicator,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspect ve View of a detail of t e adhesive applicator shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of my adhesive applicator in operation.

More particularly, adhesive-applicator stand A consists of two parallel stringers II supported by legs I2, and carrying, in sequence, conveyor rollers I3, glue tank I4. glue applicator supporting horizontal shaft l5, and skate wheels W. Shaft I5 slidably carries glue-applicator means, such as a pair of rollers I6, I6, which dip into tank l4 and apply to the underside of a box B two parallel ribbons of glue of the same width as the rollers. The rollers, which lie in the same horizontal plane, are resiliently urged toward the center of shaft I5 by a pair of coil springs I'l, I1, each carried on shaft [5 and abutting at one end against stringer II and at the other end against roller IE or IE. Shaft I5 and springs l1, II are preferably protected against splashing g ue by expansible accordion tubes I8, I8 of rubber or similar material. A pair of elongated guide arms [9, I9 is hinged to rollers IS, IS at one end; at their other end the arms are hinged to stringers II at 20, 20. The latter hinges are located forwardly of the glue tank is and. rollers I6, It, so that arms I9, I9 will extend cblquely over conveyor rollers I3. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, a hinge 2i! or 29' consists of a pin 2| extending downwardly from arm l9 or I9 (see Fig. 4), and a slotted socket 22 mounted on stringer II for the reception of pinZ I, which may freely rotate in socket 22.

As box B advances over conveyor rollers I3, it engages arms I9, I9 and spreads them apart, overcoming the force exerted by springs IT, IT. As box B passes over rollers 56, It, the latter are spread apart to correspond to the exact width of box B, and the glue strips are thus applied to the outer edges of box B.

Conveyor rollers I3 may be power-driven by means of motor 23 which transmits power through belt 24, or.; =byi'iequivalentmeans; or they-may be.

gravity-actuated. Glue-applicator rollers IE, it are shown without power drive in the embodi veyor 13. It will be understood, however, that rollers I6, I6 may likewise be power-driven, if so desired.

After box B has passed glue-applicator rollers l6, l6, it comes to rest on skate wheels W; from there it is removed manually orv by, conventional mechanical means and stacked.to"form:aycomposite package suitable for palletized shipment.

While I prefer to use rollers for the application of "the adhesivesubstance to the boxes, other means-maybesubstituted'therefor, such as flexible' rubber lingers (not shown) on a base slidably supported on shaft I 5.

In'order to adjust the tension of 'belt' 25, the tail rolle1-"25 is horizontally adjustable on stringers Hbymeans of 'apair of-boltsffi which bear against the roller shaft resting in horizontal slots 2 Ti Glue tank Mmay be replenishedfrom a main supply tank (not'shown) through pipe 28.

Theboxes are-fed to the-applicator unit by means of conventional conveyors (not shown) linked thereto, or by being'placed'manually on conveyor rollers I3 and/or belt 24.

My device issimple; andis easy to operate in the manner indicate'd' byits aboved'es'cription. lfhe saving in time andman-hours by its'use, as compared-'with-thetime and man-hours needed for manual gluing'and assembly of individual containers for palletized shipments, amounts to from 33 A;% to80'%", dependingon' the type of containers to be assembled.

The adhesive applicator device, the construction l and" operation ofwhich I have described in the foregoingspecification,. may: easily bemodified' to suitz'theirequirements of: particular packaging needs by changing dimensions "and arrangements of parts of'my; above-described preferred example,- r-. by substituting equivalents therefor. modifications and 'changes -w-ill readily occur to the: expert, andare. deemedto be within the scope of my inventionwhich I thus intend to limit ..only by.- the appended claims.

.Lclaim:

1. M-achineforgapplying an adhesive. substance imparallel-stripstocthe. bottom surface of a body such; as abox, comprising aplurality of applicator means adapted-to supply said adhesive substance to said surface, the .workingsurfaceof said-applicator means lying inithe same horizontal plane and a support for. said applicator. means, and meansactuatable by said body prior to its contact with ..said applicatonmeans for. varying the distance between said applicator. means.

2'. ,.Machine for. applying ,an adhesive substance in parallel stripsitotheb'ottom surfaceof a body such as abox, comprising a horizontal shaft, apair of adhesivesubstance carrying. alignedhorizontal rollers slidableonsaid shaft, resilient means on saidshaft for. urging said rollerstowards the center of said shaft, and'means actuated by said body to slide, said. rollers away, from the. center of said shaft in divergent. directions.

3. ,Machine for. applying anadhesivesubstance iniparallel strips to.. the bottom surfa'ceof a. body such as a box, comprising a. frame, a horizontal shaft supported onsaid frame, a pair of adhesive substance applicator means slidably mounted on said shaft/and adaptedto apply said adhesive sub- Such' stance to"saidsurface, thework-ing surfaces of said applicator means lying-in the same horizontal plane, resilient means urging said applicator means towards the center of said shaft, and a pair of armshingedly connected to said frame and said applicator means, said arms adapted to be engaged by said body to urge them apart, whereby the distance between said applicator means, is adjusted in accordance with the width of 'said body;

4.- ;Machine for applying an adhesive substance in parallel strips to the bottom surface of a body such as'abox, comprising a frame, a horizontal shaft supported by said frame, a pair of adhesive substance carrying aligned horizontal rollers'slidably carried by said shaft, and a pair of arms hingedly connected to said frame and said rollers, said arms adapted to-be engaged by said body to urge' themapart, whereby the distance between said'rol'lers is adjusted in accordance with the widthof said body, and means advancing said'body into contact with said arms.

5. Machinefor applying-an adhesive substance in parallel strips 'to the bottom surface of a body such as a box, comprising a frame, a horizontal shaft supported by said frame, a pair of adhesive substance carrying aligned horizontal rollers slidably carried by shaft, and a pair of arms operatively engaging the outer ends of said rollers and extending obliquely outwardly therefrom and adapted to be engaged by said body to urge them apart. whereby the distance between said applicator rollers .is adjusted in accordance with the width of said body, and means for advancing said body, into contact with said arms and said rollers.

6. Machine for. applying an ,adhesive substance in parallelv strips to the lateral edges of the bottomsurfaceof abody such as a box, said machine'comprisinga frame, .a horizontal shaft associated. withsaid frame, a pair of applicator means slidablymounted on said shaft, said applicator-means ha-vingtheirworking surfaces in the same horizontal planeand being adapted to apply saidadhesive substance to the bottom surface of said body, resilient meansurging said applicator means toward eachother, means hingedly connected Ito said applicator means and to pivots spaced from: saidapplicator means, said hingedly connected means being adapted to be engaged by" said body to urgethem apart, whereby the distance between said: applicator means is adjusted iii-accordance with the width of said body, and means for advancing said body into contact with said hingedly connected means and over said applicator means.

'71 Machine for applying an adhesive substance in parallel strips to the lateral'edges of the bottom surface of a body such as a box, said machine comprising a frame, a horizontal shaft associated with said frame, a pair of applicator means slidably mounted on said shaft, said applicator means having their working surfaces in the same horizontal plane and being adapted to apply said adhesive substance to the bottom surface of said body, resilient means on said shaft urging said applicator means toward each other, means hingedly connected to said applicator means and to pivots spaced from said applicator means, said hingedly connected means being adapted to be engaged by said body to urge them apart, whereby the distance between said applicator means is adjusted in accordance with the width of said body,

and means for advancing said body into contact 5 with said hingedly connected means and over said UNITED STATES PATENTS applicator means Number Name Date 1,756,998 Walker May 6, 1930 WILLIAM E MCDONALD 6 1,974,256 Bergstein Sept. 18, 1934 1,987,500 Wild Jan. 8, 1935 REFERENCES CITED 2,045,881 Strider June 30, 1936 The following references are of record in the 2,230 963 MacDonald b 4, 1941 file of this patent: 2,313,643 Howard Mar. 9, 1943 

